By Fidel Ozugha
It is likely, from the look of things, that the planned high mass to be officiated by the Catholic Bishop of Nnewi, Most Reverend Jonas Benson Okoye to mark the first day in office of Vice Chancellor of Nnamdi University, Awka, Dr Benard Ifeanyi Odoh, will not hold.
This is emanating from the fact the Permanent Secretary, Federal Minister, Abuja has declared the appointment of the Dr. Benard Ifeanyi Odoh as ”Null and Void” due to ”gross disregard to constituted authority” by the appointment which was alleged ”not to be in line with the extant provision” of the Ministry.
Already, a letter, written and signed by the Special Adviser to the Vice Chancellor (Information and Public Relations), Dr. Emmanuel C. Ojukwu, has been sent out inviting the University community and her friends to come for the ceremony scheduled to hold on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, at St. Joseph Catholic Chaplaincy, Permanent Site, UNIZIK, by 11.00am.
A concerned lecturer in the University explained that it would not hold, ”for no bishop worthy of his calling would like to swim into high current stream of controversy surrounding the appointment and the process with which was done.”
Going further, the senior lecturer, who preferred his name not mentioned, pointed out that His Lordship, Most Reverend Bishop Okoye as one he knows would not like to be identified with the impunity, lack of due process that manifested in the exercise. ”He won’t like his name and image to be tarnished in a matter as this…”
Meanwhile, the University as at the moment, is rudderless because the Vice Chancellor and the Registrar, having been relieved of their appointments, lack the authority to act. The acting Vice Chancellor, Prof. Umeobi had handed over to the Registrar, Barr Mrs Ifeoma Nwokike before this nullification. Again, the Federal Government has not made provisions for leadership continuity of the University.
Thus it seems that the title of Chinua Achebe’s ace book, Things Fall Apart’ is the apt description of the situation of leadership of the University currently.
